Smart Glasses Convert Text to Audio

[Carmen Elsa Irarragorri Wyland]

A new pair of glasses may just be what those who have visual impairments, or comprehension problems, need to read written text more easily. Known as the Oton Glass, these smart spectacles work by translating text into audio using two cameras and an earpiece, both of which are fitted to its frame. 

Half of the lens is a mirror which reflects the wearer's eyes back to the first camera, which in turn, tracks eye movement. This camera can detect blinking, meanwhile, the other captures text. To use the glasses, wearers stare at the text they can't read and blink to trigger the glasses. 

The glasses have an inbuilt computer. It uses Raspberry Pi to capture the words which are then sent to a Raspberry Pi cloud system which processes the text and converts it into audio played through the earpiece. But, what if the computer system is unable to identify and convert words? In this case, images are sent to a remote worker who can decipher them.

The Oton Glass is very similar to Google Translate, only that the latter requires users to swipe over text. The Oton Glass is a lot easier to use. In fact, its creators hope to help those with sensory impairment. Lead designer, Keisuke Shimkage started working on the glasses in 2012 to aid his father who had recently developed dyslexia. During his father's recovery, Shimkage continued development on the glasses to help others with the disorder. 

While smart glasses are not a new concept, it's difficult to point to any single pair of smart glasses that people have reviewed favorably. Perhaps it's because such products tried to do too much or were too expensive. The Oton glass however, is for a specified audience and, at just $47, it's relatively affordable.